Phantaloid Shots
by Creivel
Summary: Drabbles and one-shots inspired by Vocaloid songs. NOW PLAYING- "Hyperventilation Dance" / He can't breathe. / Danny-centric and talk of mental disorders.
1. Meltdown

_Hey, take me to nuclear reactor  
>I wish to dive into core, wanna fly, fly, fly<br>Disabled memories go white, melt and disappear  
>Hey, take me to nuclear reactor<br>If I could dive into core, and then cry, cry, cry  
>Like old days good sleep will bring me dream of tenderness <em>

* * *

><p>Wind thundered against Danny's ears as he plummeted the thousands of feet through the atmosphere above Amity Park, his eyes closed in an expression of blissful contentedness. All thoughts he could have had were severely overwhelmed by the sharp whistling that falling at terminal velocity brought, though one managed to stand above all else.<p>

He loved flying. He loved the feeling of falling, knowing he could easily stop himself from smashing into the pavement by either slowing, or going intangible at the last second. Either way, he was able to enjoy the addicting rush of adrenaline that others could only wish to experience. Skydiving had nothing on this.

He twisted his body around so he was free falling with his back toward the ground and stretched his arms out far to each side. A stupid smile wormed its way across his face, and he laughed loudly. This was _his_ time to spend as _he_ wanted. No ghost fighting, no school, no drama or paparazzi tailing him everywhere he went... The sky was his domain and he was free to play in it as he wished, which mostly meant doing things that would get him scolded later, either by Sam or his parents. They would never understand the feeling of flight as he did, nor the delicious rush of skimming along death as long as his heart desired. Human feelings accompanied with ghost abilities were a match made in heaven, or some twisted other place man was not meant to reach.

When the sounds of screams struck him, Danny knew he was at the end of the rope. Deciding to take the risk of a horribly violent death, he adjusted his position slightly, angling himself as to ease into a soon-to-be violent curve which would most likely feel about the same as a face-plant into asphalt. The sensation came faster than he had expected, his body lurching painfully and very core rattling with the G-force that threatened to fling him into any of the nearby, towering buildings. He clenched his jaw and pressed on, speeding into a horizontal plane and shooting through the town in an almost invisible blur of black and white. He cried out, the sound a mixture of agony and disturbing pleasure, his every cell screaming and threatening to break apart into nothing as he began to arc upwards. His mind was a jumbled mess and the air was pounding against him too hard for him to breathe; his throat squeezed shut and he found himself losing all sort of sensation in his body. For the briefest of moments, Danny Phantom was not there. He was dissolved into the wind itself, bits of his broken everything still flying at a high speed in a single direction.

Then, as quickly as it started, it was over.

Danny slowed to a stop a few hundred feet above the town, his eyes and cheeks wet with tears and shoulders shaking violently. His head pounded with an intense headache, giving the obvious signal for him to stop his ghostly shenanigans and go back to being boring Fenton once more. He giggled to himself while he floated carelessly downwards, once again sprawling out lazily on his back. No matter how many times he did the horrific flying stunts his ghost side craved, they never grew tiring. Nothing could replace the feeling of brushing death- momentarily melting down into oblivion and forgetting the rational part of his brain that was yelling at him to not get himself killed. He was already sort of dead, anyway.

* * *

><p>R&amp;R please!<p>

As a heads up, these will be completely random updates with no set date in mind. When I get the inspiration and time, I will write and post immediately when I finish.

I take song requests, too! If you're thinking "Wow, I know this one Vocaloid song that would make a good fic..." feel free to share it. However, don't be upset if what I write isn't what you thought it would be, or if I don't add it at all. Imaginations are extremely different with each person.


	2. Crimson Camellia

_I was gonna desperately become beautiful for them,  
>(Laughed at them)<br>Still, they smiled gently, to me, for me, for such me.  
>(Don't look back)<br>If you say, "Need a punishment," you may rot me so easy.  
>(Your many friends)<br>But how will you sublimate their desire instead of me, don't you think so? _

* * *

><p>"But, Sammykins! It would look just fabulous on you-"<p>

"There's no way in hell I'm wearing that thing, and there's no way I'm going to one of your stupid, prissy dances!" Sam snarled as she slammed her bedroom door shut, storming over to her darkly decorated bed and throwing herself into its softness. She snatched her pillow and screamed into it until her throat felt raw.

They knew she hated dressing fancy just to please them, especially when the outfit they bought for her ahead of time was brightly colored with hideous floral print- why did they _always_ find it necessary to buy her dresses with flowers on them? It seemed every day they were trying harder and harder to force her out of her goth "phase," even going so far as to change her bedsheets to bright pink and hiding her skull-themed accessories while she was out at school. It wasn't too hard to change it back to normal, considering her sleuthing skills and a certain ghost boy's love for destroying girly things. Why didn't they get day jobs, like normal people? Maybe it would exhaust them enough that they would leave her alone at night, so she could do her usual lurking or adventuring outside.

Sam rolled over onto her back and glared up at the ceiling, still holding the pillow tightly to her chest. She hated being cooped up in her house for long periods of time, even if it was in her perfectly dreary room. Ever since Freshman year in high school when she had gotten her first taste of freedom, though tragically caused by the almost-death of her best friend, the mere thought of a standard school night sitting around make her want to gag. Sam knew where she wanted to be: out fighting ghosts. Out in the night with her closest friends, without a care in the world...

"Sam?"

She yelped in surprise and instinctively flung her pillow in the direction at the voice. Danny watched it pass harmlessly through his already intangible head, slap against the wall and fall to the floor. Then, he blinked up at her and forced a smile. "Uh, mind if I come in? I-I mean... not that I'm not already sort of in..."

Sam laughed at her boyfriend and nodded. Beaming, Danny came the rest of the way through the wall, sank to the floor and changed back into his human form. The goth girl shifted to sit on the edge of her bed and patted the spot next to her, where Danny sat without a second's delay. The two were still for a moment, an awkward silence passing in between them until Danny cleared his throat to bring the tension to an end.

"I was already coming here for something," he explained softly, "and I heard yelling... whatever it was, I'm sorry I-"

"Danny, it's not like you could've done anything!" Sam assured with a shake of her head, reaching out and putting her hand on his "It was just my parents being, well, my parents." Her amethyst eyes met his blue ones, and he flushed a deep pink.

"So, you said you came here for something?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. He chuckled nervously and fiddled with the pocket to his cargo pants, eventually pulling something out and whispering, "Ah, good." Sam strained her neck and made a face, trying to see what the boy was hiding. He shot a pathetic look at her, his lower lip stuck out in a half-pout. She lifted her hands up in defense and purposely looked away.

"I know your thing is black and all, but I thought maybe you could make an exception this time." He offered out his hands, which gingerly held a bright red blossom, its petals only a little dented from the its time in his pant pocket. Sam gaped at it and looked up at Danny, who grinned widely at her.

"That's a camellia, w-where did you...?" She reached out and touched it, admiring its bright, blood red color and sunny center. "These don't grow naturally here."

Danny shrugged nonchalantly. "I have my ways. The point is that when I saw it, it was sitting on the grass, and I couldn't just leave it there. Somehow, it made me think of you... even if it's much more colorful than anything you would normally associate with." She took the flower into her hands and held it close for several seconds, her eyes shut in thought. It didn't have much of a scent, but she wouldn't deny how breathtakingly beautiful it was or how much it meant to her as a gift. Danny knew how much she loved all kinds of nature and went through the trouble of saving a rare flower just to make her happy.

"I love it. I really, really do." She furiously blinked back tears and swallowed hard. "And who knows? Maybe it'll please my parents to see something that isn't black in my room." Her thumb gently stroked a crimson petal, her attention so focused on the plant that she didn't notice her boyfriend moving closer to her.

"I'm glad you like it. Maybe you'll like this, too." Danny's voice was low as he reached out a hand, held Sam's cheek in his palm and pressed his lips to hers. She made a small "Mm" sound as she adjusted her position to lean into him, placing the blossom safely to the side. Her hands rested against his chest as they kissed, her heart fluttering wildly and nearly soaring clear out of her chest. He was certainly right, she loved the flower more than she could properly express, but she loved the feeling of his body against hers and the taste of ice on his lips much, much more.


	3. iNSaNiTY

_Insanity,  
>like floating on air.<br>Psychopathy,  
>a carefree life.<br>Insanity,  
>an illusion that can't end.<br>Captivity,  
>like the corruption is continuing. <em>

* * *

><p>Ten months, two weeks, six days, eighteen hours, thirty-two minutes, seven seconds...<p>

"Phantom? Phantom, wake up." Eight seconds.

Sharp ringing. A buzzer? Nine seconds.

"We have some questions for you." Ten seconds.

"Of course you do," Danny retorts as he loses count, his head of messy, white hair hanging dejectedly. He is locked into a chair with steels buckles, which wouldn't normally be an issue if it weren't prepared by the Guys in White. It was specially made to be anti-ghost, anti-_Phantom_. He gets to stand sometimes, and stretch his atrophied muscles, but it doesn't last long and he quickly finds himself either back in the chair or strapped to an examination table. He isn't sure which he prefers. "You always have questions. What makes you think I have the answers you want to hear?"

He could _feel_ the smug smirk that tugs at the man's lips. He wants nothing more than to phase through his bindings and slam the bastard into a wall. "Somehow, I think I'll get what I want. After all, you seem awfully close to the Fentons-"

Something in the air crackles, and it took the GiW agent only a moment of pause before realizing Phantom's holding chamber has completely frozen over in a thin layer of ice. It was well insulated for this reason, but that doesn't make the boy's frequent displays of power any less intimidating to him, or any other agent. Phantom was the most powerful ghost they had ever encountered, and to get him to cooperate, they needed to match that ghostly power with their own man-made equipment.

Danny watches him with blazing eyes, the blue slowly draining back into a sickly green. "What do you want to know?" He asks, though it sounds more like a demand than anything. The man forces a smile, knowing the ghost is trying to see into him with that stare. If he faltered, Phantom would sense it immediately and nothing would get done.

"Why did you chose to haunt them?" The question causes Phantom to laugh, a hoarse and terrifying noise that causes the agent's skin to crawl. The ghost boy flashes a crooked grin at him, his eyes momentarily sparkling with amusement before fading back into blankness.

"Why do ghosts haunt where they do? What draws them to one place?" Danny muses lightly to both himself and the man, tilting his head back to look at the ice-coated ceiling. "Is it because they died there, or have some sort of emotional attachment?" He rocks his head from side to side, his smile darkening.

"So you died there, I see..." "Oh no, I didn't."

This surprises the agent, whose face quickly grows serious as he steps closer to the glass barrier shielding him from Phantom's wrath. "You didn't die there? But, how-"

"I was half-alive, and you know that. Part ghost or not, I was very much still alive and able to function like so." His eyebrows furrow in thought. "Call it my ghostly obsession. The Fentons are my family, I would have done anything to protect them and help them with their cause. If anything, I 'died' for them to succeed." The air hangs heavy with his explanation, something that no teenager should be able to say so calmly and without the slightest tinge of emotion. Something feels wrong, but as the GiW man knows, nothing involving Phantom ever feels right.

"What do you consider your obsession to be now, Phantom? You'll never see the Fentons again, as far as I'm concerned." As harsh laughter once again rings through the air, he knows he struck a nerve. Danny playfully drums his hands against the armrests on his uncomfortable seat and anxiously wiggles a little.

"Believe me, I know that. And I don't care. Is that what you want to hear?"

"I don't understand..." He retreats backwards, face twisted in confusion and a hint of fear. "You were bound to 'help' the Fentons... to the point where you risked capture time and time again, and now you don't _care_?" Phantom stills, and his gaze locks dead on the agent with such malevolence that the recipient feels as though he would drop dead from its sheer intensity.

"I was half-alive until almost eleven months ago. Funny, isn't it? I go out of my way to protect and help and_ save _everyone while I'm alive and just a kid, and now here I am under captivity... and..." He breaks out into chuckles, his eyes still daggers into the agent. "All I want to do is splatter everyone here against the walls."

The man panics; he grabs his phone from his belt and sputters into it while Phantom hums to himself in a tune much too cheery. After his connection with another agent cuts out, frost slowly spreading across the electronic device, he yelps and flees. His phone clatters to the ground and shatters.

"Ah, you're running away? That's fine, I have all the time in the world to wait."


	4. Servant of Evil

_You are my princess,  
>I am your servant.<br>Destiny divided two pitiful twins.  
>If it's to protect you,<br>I will even become evil._

* * *

><p>"Take my equipment and go." Danny shoved his utility belt into Danielle's arms, where she held them tightly to her chest as though her very life depended on it. In a way, it did.<p>

"B-but Danny-" She choked, tears welling up in her dimly glowing, green eyes. Danny placed his hands on her shoulders and offered her a sad smile as she cried.

"Get out of here, Dani. I'll take care of it from here. You'll be safe, I promise." He gingerly brushed loose strands of snowy hair out of her face with a gloved hand. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration and despair, her mouth hanging open uselessly as her brain struggled to find the proper words. "We have the same signature," he continued, "they won't even notice."

"D-Danny, I don't w-want you to-" The sound of a heavy door slamming open caught their attention, and Dani found herself instinctively inching closer to the notorious ghost boy. He glared in the direction of the noises of men shouting, his eyes flashing brightly in determination. "You can't!"

"I swore I would protect you, Danielle. No matter what," he whispered, lowering himself down onto one knee to sit at her eye-level. She flung herself at him, sobbing madly, and they embraced in what would likely be their last hug for quite some time, if not ever. Danny stroked his clone's hair, gently rocking her back and forth as a parent would do for their upset child. "It'll all be okay. Just get out of here and find my parents." She burrowed her face into his chest, hoping halfheartedly that he would change his mind and they would both fly away from there, together.

"_I'm getting readings! She's here!"_

Phantom pushed the girl away from him and turned away, leaving her to float slowly upwards alone with his gear. As she felt herself beginning to phase through the ceiling, her "cousin" looked over his shoulder at her and smiled warmly.

The room exploded in greens and blues, the sheer force sending Danielle flying all the way out into the air and tumbling blindly away. She hoarsely screamed his name, even as she spun around and tore through the sky, not daring to look back at the explosion. Danny would protect her against anything and everything, she was certain of, but the extent he would go to, just to fulfill that promise? That was what scared her the most. He would prove _them_ right for her sake...

"P-please, get back safely," she said between clenched teeth, blinking rapidly as the wind dried her tears. "You're my only real family... my sibling."


	5. Festival of Asylum

_Where I am?  
>It's a little early<br>That thing is human  
>Do you run from it?<br>This world also brings more and more  
>Insecurity with each passing morning <em>

* * *

><p>Her breath was a warm fog drifting upward from her lips in front of her face. She shuddered lightly against the icy breeze of the night, hugging her arms to her chest. It wasn't supposed to be this cold, regardless of it almost being winter, and Sam knew exactly why.<p>

It started about three months ago... there was an uprising in the Ghost Zone. Most, including her, simply thought they were rebelling against their own strict residents, such as the notorious jailer Walker, but that was far from the truth. They longed to feel the air of the human realm and to haunt wherever they desired. Spending all of eternity in a twisted world filled with green ooze lost its appeal rather quickly. The desire grew exponentially until there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of ghosts are forcing their way into Amity Park via natural and man-made portals. It was chaos for hunters, and especially painful for the half-ghost boy who held both sides close to his heart. Danny understood their plight and felt a pang of sympathy for them, but would still capture and release them back into the zone nonetheless.

At least, he used to. The stress of the constant fighting had taken a toll on his psyche to the point where even his psychology-in-training sister, Jazz, had a difficult time comforting him in his almost delirious state. It was a small crack in his personality at first; he was a little more ruthless toward bullies and lost his patience much faster than normal with his friends. That crack grew in size as days and nights passed, Danny having been out fighting for hours nonstop. Eventually, he snapped, and stopped his fights altogether.

Sam and Tucker both assumed he had grown exhausted and threw in the towel, passing the responsibility of fighting all the ghosts to the "professionals." That was what they guessed, at least until they found Phantom sitting on a rooftop, laughing at a group of humans being chased from their homes by Youngblood. He did nothing to stop the ghost, but watched the show with a malicious gleam in his eyes.

"_Dude! What are you doing just sitting there?" Tucker shouted up at him, his hands cupped around his mouth to emphasize his voice. Danny sneered something at him, but he couldn't catch it from their distance. "You gotta help them!"_

"_I don't 'gotta' do anything," Danny had replied sharply, lying back and resting his hands behind his head for support. "I help these humans all the time and they never do anything for themselves. What's wrong with a little revolution?"_

"_Danny, you're scaring me," Sam said shakily, "why are you...?" Phantom yawned and closed his eyes, his interest in the conversation lost. She and Tucker exchanged a nervous glance before she snorted, "Well fine! We'll handle it ourselves!"_

"_By all means." _

Danny Fenton never came home that night.

His parents both searched the streets that night in search of Phantom, knowing full well he could have gone nearly anywhere as his ghost persona, but didn't find a single trace of the teenager. The ghosts continued to pour in and the amount of humans fighting back dwindled as people fled the town all together. As Amity Park was slowly being overrun, the ghosts seemed to become more organized in their efforts. They had neat squads performing certain tasks, almost like a Ghost Zone military, and claimed territories effortlessly from the chaotic hunters, who were blind-sided by the sudden order in the attacks.

It wasn't until they reached City Hall, their last line of defense, that it began to make sense. The building itself was dilapidated and splattered with ectoplasm and blood from the battles that had occurred there, but it was obvious the ghosts had taken it over. Sam and Tucker assisted the Fenton family in breaking through the guarded entrance, hoping to find answers within the building. It was important to the city's political structure, the ghosts somehow knew that, and they had taken advantage of it with terrifying intentions.

They were met with a cackling Phantom at the core of the building, who sat cross-legged in a throne made entirely of ice. He twirled a flaming crown around on his index finger, never breaking the crooked grin he had at the appearance of his family and friends.

"Funny, isn't it? They listen to _me_. _Me_! I have power over them, both literally and figuratively." He flicked the crown back on his head, where the green fire blazed in intensity. "It was so easy, too. I know this town well enough... I think it's better this way."

Jazz had started to cry while the others stood speechless. Maddie and Jack lowered the aim of their weapons to the floor, unable to point their wrath at their own child.

"B-but you're human, too, Danny!" Sam cried, daring a step forward. Phantom raised his eyebrows at her in surprise, his smile falling.

"I was. But I grew out of it."

Just like that, the tension snapped. Ghosts flew in through the walls, growling at the human intruders in rage, though stopped to a dead halt when Phantom lifted his hand. He watched the group for several seconds in deep thought. Sam bit down hard on her lower lip until she tasted copper, her gaze never once leaving her late best friend and boyfriend. Just as she thought she might faint from the stressful intensity of the silence, Danny dropped his hand back down to the ice armrest of his throne and his stare relaxed into a half-lidded one of little care.

"Kill them."

What happened next was a blur in Sam's memory. There was screaming, banging, her boots slamming against the floor... she recalled the moment where she forced her way outside and sprinted away, her lungs burning painfully from the effort. She ran and she ran and she ran until, once again, silence consumed her. Her knees buckled and she fell onto her hands in nearly frozen grass, her breath forming tumbling wisps in the chilly air. It was colder than she remembered it being earlier; colder than it should have been for that time of year. Sam's heart felt like a lump of stone sitting uselessly in her chest and she hugged herself in vain to try to keep warm. She shook her head as the image of her friends surfaced, and she attempted to stand up straight while her first instinct told her to find adequate shelter for the night. Because nobody saw the signs sooner, Amity Park was gone to the ghost invasion. Further adding onto the misery of the situation, their ruler Phantom would make sure it stayed horribly cold for a very, very long time.


	6. Mozaik Role

_Isn't it fine to say that we are loved?  
>To be bound so the world may never but touch<br>Isn't this, too, just fate and nothing more?  
>Fade away, fade away<br>I say to a love._

* * *

><p>Danny thought that with the world saved, at least for the time being, and his secret completely out in the open, he would have more peace of mind. What he didn't expect was a constant nagging in the back of his mind, like a second voice, whispering disdain and criticizing him at every turn. He found himself unable to sleep some nights due to reoccurring nightmares, which would leave him mentally exhausted and extremely bitter in the following mornings. It was then that the voice took a pseudo physical form, cleverly mimicking his ghost half, and using it to harass him for the duration of his pathetic sleep.<p>

"_You don't _really_ think it's all fine, do you?"_ It asked with a sly smile, cocking its- no, _his_ head a little to the side. Danny wrinkled his nose and turned away from the hallucination, only to have it float back into his eyesight a second later. _"That everything just falls into place so neatly just because you saved them? When has that ever worked before?"_

"This is different," Danny spat, "they know who I am now. Not just that, they accept me for it. They believe me." His counterpart chuckled, sending a chill down the boy's spine. It even stole his voice...

"_You really are clueless."_

"And what would you know?" He growled at his ghost face, mentally scolding himself for arguing with a being his imagination made up.

"_I'm you, idiot. Or have you forgotten already? The whole accident in the lab?"_ Its eyes flashed a dangerous shade of green and it poked Danny in the chest with a gloved finger.

"You are _not_ me!" He snapped back, swatting the hand away. It feigned hurt, its lower lip sticking out in a pout.

"_You're getting awfully upset considering I'm just spewing nonsense, right?"_ It shrugged slightly, twirling around and walking a few paces forward into the dream's darkness. _"All I'm doing is repeating what you think all the time. 'How do they trust me so easily?' 'Am I just a science experiment to them?' 'Will they try to pull something when I let my guard down?'"_

"Shut up."

"_The answer to the last two, by the way, is _yes._ It's always been 'yes,' and you know it." _Danny's mirror self grinned mischievously and patted him teasingly on the cheek. Again, he smacked the hand away from him, but otherwise made no protest. _"Ghost-expert parents who suddenly have an entirely new species, at least to them, living in their own house... how does that not sound like a great deal? I'm only surprised they haven't put you on an examination table or-"_

"They would never do that, ever," Danny pressed, standing up a little straighter and glaring his ghost half down. "They love me."

"_And they hate Phantom. That isn't something that changes overnight, fool. Don't you think they've asked themselves some questions abut your... past exploits? Kidnapping the major, robbing jewelery, the likes."_

"That wasn't me! I-I mean... it wasn't my fault." He could hear his voice growing weak as anxiety wriggled its way into the pit of his stomach. All the names his parents called called Phantom, called _him_, began to replay on a loop through his head as he remembered each time being shot with an ectogun, being threatened...

"_They're your parents, but they're also scientists. Their primary target has suddenly exposed itself _and_ they know you'll do what they ask, when they ask. It's only a matter of time before curiosity gets the best of them, and what do you think it'll take for them to stop testing? You screaming bloody murder?"_

"They wouldn't experiment on me!" His scream rang painfully in his own ears, though it only made his ghost half's smile wider.

"_They would on Phantom. In a heartbeat." _Danny clutched his head in his hands and screamed in frustration as his other half watched, arms crossed. _"You know I'm right."_

_We love __**you**__, Danny. Whether you're ghost, boy, or somewhere in between. _

"No. You're wrong and _you_ know it." His head snapped up, blue eyes sparkling with a sudden confidence. This was it, he understood now perfectly. All doubts began to wash away from his conscience as he stepped over to his ghost half and grabbed him by the collar of his jumpsuit, bringing its face up to his. Its green eyes flickered with uncertainty. "You said it yourself. You're me. And they love _us_."

"_No they don't! They hate me and they always will!" _Phantom screeched, shoving Danny away and stumbling painfully backwards. The human half smiled sadly as the final pieces of the puzzle were put into place. _"They would torture us given the chance!"_

"You can try to convince me otherwise, but you know it's true. We're the same person. Ghost, half-ghost, or whatever... they love you."

Phantom fell onto his knees and clawed his gloved hands through his hair. Danny was there in an instant, pulling the being into a loose embrace and closing his eyes. It sat limply against him for a long moment, trembling, before the boy's eyes reopened and he noticed his ghost self slowly beginning to dissolve into nothing. The darkness of his dream was lightening into a soft white.

"_I see..."_ It whispered, its voice only an echo as the rest disappeared completely, leaving Danny alone in his cleansed plane of thought. He felt whole once more, the negativity of his ghost side having been soothed, though in a way he never knew possible. Ghosts were manifestations of humanity's worst emotions and Phantom was no exception. It just took a reminder that they, _he _was still human that would save him from the darkness- from being torn mentally to shreds by his own self-doubt and fear and becoming something monstrous.

If all it took was a bit of human compassion, Danny was fully prepared to defy his ghost side's fate again.

* * *

><p>Double update, yay.<p>

R&R!


	7. Karakuri Burst

_DESTROY DESTROY  
>I will eliminate ALL<br>There is no end to this destruction  
>Perish! Vanish! DIE! All the evil-doers are,<br>after all, nothing more than junk.  
>"For what purpose are you living?"<br>I will tell you the answer_

* * *

><p>He would often think about how depressingly <em>easy<em> it would be to physically fight off his school bullies. He would run the scenario through his head tenfold as it would unravel-

Dash grabs a fistful of his shirt and slams him back into a locker, _(he'd trip Dash, maybe jab him in the gut, grab his arm and flip him over onto his back)_ shouting mere inches from his face about another failed test _(I'll show you what a real yell sounds like, a point-blank ghostly wail?). _Danny stares steadily at the football player while he rants _(uppercut to the jaw would break it)_ his gaze occasionally moving to the side at his friends, who watch with a mutual, knowing expression, Sam shaking her head lightly whenever ectoplasmic energy flickered at his fingertips _(one little ray would only knock him back, not vaporize him)._ He waits with as much patience as he can muster _(last night I was slashed across the chest by Skulker, I'm not afraid of you), _even as Dash violently shakes him and demands to know if he's listening. He swallows hard and nods quickly, unable to hide an angry flash of green from crossing over the blue of his eyes _(shoot him in the face with eye-lasers)_ and Dash suddenly drops him. He stumbles once but regains his footing sooner after, and the bully storms off down the school hallway with his minions in tow _(and a solid kick to the middle of his back)._

He wants to fight back, more than anything. He wanted to prove that he was not scared. Even with his friends and his sister constantly reminding him that it wasn't worth it and to be a better person, the part of him that felt like ice would shake its head and respond, "Is being a better person worth putting up with so much pain?" He didn't know the answer. He didn't want to know.

* * *

><p>For a while after the incident with the "disasteroid," everything felt as it should be. He was rightfully treated like a hero everywhere he went, his friends and family were immensely happy with him, and school didn't seem so bad anymore. His teachers were much more understanding, grateful even, and would give him the time he needed for every class missed for a ghost attack. The student body was a bit suffocating, but Sam was wonderful at keeping the obsessive teenagers at bay- particularly Paulina, and for a while, he was genuinely happy. He no longer had to pretend to be weak and frightened to get by.<p>

One morning, Danny had barely made it out of math class when he came face-to-face with Dash again, nearly walking directly into him. He stared up at the blond boy, unsure of his intentions, until the football star laughed nervously and offered a half-hearted jab, calling Danny "Fentina" and awkwardly skirting around him and into the classroom. Seconds ticked by after the encounter and Danny continued to stand there, jaw slack and thoughts reeling, trying to process what had just occurred and what he was feeling stir deep within his core. Dash had done everything in his power to avoid him since finding out about his true self, and for good reason. He had done nothing but hurt him, humiliate him in front of his peers, scream at him and call him names and make him want to-

The world snapped back into clarity, leaving Danny stunned and levitating inches above the ground, books strewn about at his feet. He forced himself to relax, hands loosening and falling back to his sides. In his moment of rage, he had brought up his fists _(like in a fight) _and allowed them to glow with unspeakably destructive energy. He knew he was still enraged at Dash and everything he had ever done to wrong him _(ask my enemies what happens when I get angry)_, but now that everyone knew he was Phantom, it was different. He didn't have to be afraid of the bully- of _anyone_- anymore _(they have no idea what it means to be afraid)_. They had seen him fight and seen what he could do. Dash had seen what damage he could cause _(I would only need a second)_ and Dash knew exactly what would happen if he hurt Phantom.

Looking into Dash's eyes at their first meeting since the big reveal... _(I see it now)_ the amount of fear in them was utterly intoxicating.

* * *

><p>Oh hey, it's me.<p>

I got back into Danny Phantom recently and have picked the fanfic mantle back up. Can't say how long it'll last, what with my massive obsession with Mass Effect at the moment, but we'll see.

Special thanks to my reviewers! It's been forever, but I haven't forgotten your suggestions. I even have then written down in their own special file.

Be sure to check out my Tumblr for random drabbles and art.

-Kess


	8. Remote Control

_Sit down, sit down_  
><em>OH SIT DOWN PLEASE, YEAH!<em>  
><em>Lettin' the body lie feedback<em>  
><em>Goin' around, goin' around<em>  
><em>OH TURN IT AROUND, YEAH!<em>  
><em>Buzzin' like a motor<em>

* * *

><p>"Danny."<p>

"Tucker."

"Danny, _come on_."

"Tucker, no- Tucker _stop shaking me_!"

Tucker released his friend's shoulders and lifted his hands up defensively as Danny glared at him. He took a step back, bouncing a little on the heels of his boots in excitement.

"Pleeaase, man! It's gonna be awesome! We've only been waiting for the DOOM sequel for _three years_! You have to play it with me!" He clasped his hands together, fingers interlacing in a near begging stance. Danny crossed his arms and appeared to sink into deep thought for several seconds, then eventually frowning and shaking his head.

"I know, but... I have things to do and there just isn't time for gaming."

Tucker groaned and slumped his shoulders. "Dude, you and Sam have been connected at the hip for the longest time now. I get that you're dating and all but... _come on._" He deadpanned and watched as Danny nervously rubbed the back of his neck, a faint blush crossing his cheeks. They were at the end of high school and Danny was _still_ terribly awkward when it came to the subject of girls. It was an utter tragedy.

"Tucker, it's not like-"

"It's true and you know it! Let's just go game for this one day and then you can go make kissy faces at each other all you want. I'll even call Sam to see if she wants to join, how's that?"

Danny yelped in surprise as Tucker snatched him by the wrist and began to drag him down the sidewalk. "Tucker, I think she uninstalled that ye-"

"Let's go let's go _let's go_." Tucker was barely keeping himself from ripping Danny's arm out of the socket all together as they walked. He needed to play this game. He needed it like he needed to breathe.

"For crying out loud, Tucker," Danny said as his arm slipped into intangibility and he pulled it free from his friend's iron grip, "I can just fly us home, remember?" He almost slapped himself in the face out of sheer disbelief when a dumbfounded expression overtook Tucker's previously manic one.

"... Oh yeah."

* * *

><p>This has always been my little theme song for Tucker. He's adorkable.<p> 


	9. Witch Hunt

_Pinned to a cross, I look up at the sky,  
>(Repent! Repent!)<br>while the voice of prayers dies down.  
>(My devotion has evaporated into nothingness.)<br>If you're going this far as to call my love "witchcraft",  
>(Repent! Repent!)<br>then I will envelop everything in my flames of hatred.  
>(Death is weighing down upon us!) <em>

* * *

><p>They, the people he once trusted, had captured her to get to him.<p>

Danny still remembered the sounds of her crying his name as the white-clothed agents dragged her away, at the same time joined by armed men all training their guns expertly on him. They found her and they took her, and he couldn't stop it from happening.

"_I always told you that Fenton boy was a menace!"_

"_He isn't like that! He didn't-"_

"_We'll make sure you'll be safe from the ghost boy."_

"_You don't understand!"_

Protests were met with fierce opposition and dwindled down into an endless, reluctant silence. He flew around the town in a desperate and constant search to find Sam, phasing through every government building he could and being met with even more weapons. He was in danger everywhere he went, at least on Earth. Propaganda lined the streets; a demon-like caricature of his face with cross-hairs pined neatly on top decorating posters found frequently around public areas. He saw them everywhere he went.

As the population slowly began to hate the mere mention of his name, he began to find hatred building in his heart as well. He had only ever wanted to help these people, who now wanted his head on a spike. He had risked his life time and time again, and finally gave it, to ensure their safety. As a spectral entity with his own obsession, he was sure his existence relied on his protecting Amity Park. If he was unable to help the people, he would cease to be.

That is, until he fled into the Ghost Zone and was met with both offered hands of welcome and various sneers from his former enemies as they crossed their arms and shook their heads.

"_That's how humans are, dipstick. What did you expect?"_

"_They only want us destroyed."_

"_We have no place there, and now you don't either."_

"_You were a fool to think otherwise."_

He remained whole, even as he conversed with his fellow ghosts and loathed what human society had become in the wake of his death. He did not need to save them from their own stupidity, but he needed to save the ones who couldn't help themselves and were caught in the crossfire. He knew this with utmost certainty.

Danny returned to Amity exactly one year later, his very being alight with anger at the warped human realm. Some ghosts had tried to warn him- they had seen firsthand how time changes the living, and knew he would not like what he saw. Others encouraged him, chanting for him to burn everything to the ground. The humans deserved no less for how they treated him.

His search didn't last very long. News of his arrival spread like wildfire, igniting past debate and turning the citizens against one another once more. As much as Danny found his support lacking compared to that of the previous year, he found himself unable to care for these strangers. He was only there for the _one_. He would save her, and he would save his friends. He would save the ones who had helped him countless times, and they would be more than relieved to see him safe.

He didn't expect to find her amethyst eyes wide with fear, her form huddled in an alley corner with a gun shakily pointed at his breast. He couldn't find the words to assure her, while she screamed at him- at the _ghost_- to leave. He dared a step forward, hesitantly reaching a gloved hand out, and she fired a warning shot into the floor beside him.

"_**You were a fool to think otherwise."**_

Danny screeched in agony, fingers tearing into his hair and energy erupting around him in an emerald inferno. Windows in nearby buildings shattered at the intensity of his wail, the girl who no longer recognized him disappearing into the rubble as he exploded into the air, his blackened heart intent on destruction and leaving the shattered remains of his dedication to die with her.

* * *

><p>Shots IP:<br>-Bad End Night  
>-Monochrome Ward<br>-Stargazer

When these will be finished and released, I can't say, but I am writing them.


	10. Stargazer

_Yes, I can see the world deep inside your eyes.  
>The winds carry the clouds over the land.<br>The poem helps me live.  
>All the shooting stars leave me behind,<br>and I realize why I'm standing here. _

* * *

><p>As a dedicated mother, Maddie Fenton was always one to worry about her children and their activities, but like any other scientist, was always distracted by the latest research to the point where her two sides conflicted. She thought she was losing her son, especially, as she noticed his truancy at school, dropping grades, and constantly nervous attitude. Did something happen at school that he refused to discuss? Was there a girl? … A <em>boy?<em>

To say she was surprised when her son, her _baby, _ended up being the notorious ghost boy was a massive understatement. Even as a scientist and ghost expert, she would never place her skepticism of Phantom's morality above her love and trust of Danny. She was certain that he had a good heart, whatever his form was, and there had to have been an explanation for Phantom's seemingly evil acts. There was no other option.

Maddie was extremely pleased to hear that she was correct in this theory, as Danny explained the events at the circus and city hall. She was in shock that a fourteen-year-old would have to hold such a terrible burden upon his shoulders, and made it very clear to involve her and Jack in his future exploits. He didn't need to be afraid of his parents anymore. They were guilt-ridden, yes, from all the threats they had made to Phantom in the past, but determined nonetheless to redeem themselves and help their son any way they could. Maddie knew she could speak for her husband as well when she said that they were so, _so_ proud of Danny. Of everything he had become over the years of ghost fighting.

There would be time for tests and pain_less _experiments later, she thought the more she spent time with Danny during his fights, cheering him on and occasionally tossing him the thermos if he had forgotten it at home. He was a wonder of nature, yes, but he was still her baby boy. When he was ready to explore his state more, then she and Jack would be there to assist. Until then, she was perfectly content with obsessing over his safety while placing a bandage over his forehead and scolding him for not taking extra precautions when dealing with Skulker.

She was more confident than ever at her position of a mother while she and Danny sat on the roof of the Ops Center late at night, spending modest time together and watching the stars twinkling at them from a clear sky. He had rambled on for a while about his one adventure in space, while pointing up at a constellation, and how excited he had been and how much he still longed to become an astronaut. Maddie smiled and laughed, gently nudging him with her elbow and assuring him that, if he was able to fly high in the atmosphere at over 100 miles per hour on a normal day, then going to space again was all the more likely for him. She released a slow breath, turning her attention back to the glittering sky, and wondered aloud how amazing it would be to fly amongst the stars. Out of the corner of her vision, Danny beamed and his eyes flashed a vivid green.

Maddie was initially suspicious of Danny's intent as she changed into Phantom and got to his feet, at least until he held out his hand toward her, smiling broadly.

"Well, Mom, I can't take you into space, but I can still show you what it feels like to fly."

* * *

><p>Surprise! Double update.<p>

I've had this one sitting in my folder for the longest time but only now was able to find the motivation to finish it. Sometimes it's nice writing happy topics.


	11. Hyperventilation Dance

trigger warning for a little self-harm

* * *

><p><em>Come on, come on, come on,<br>breathe in  
>fly off, fly off, fly off<br>breathe out  
>rotate, rotate, round n' round, rotate<br>it hurts it hurts  
>to breathe in and breathe out<em>

* * *

><p>It happens in the middle of a lecture in Mr. Lancer's class.<p>

He's listening, to the best of his ability with his mind always preoccupied with visions of potential ghost battles as well as the memory of recent ones. Such is the job, Danny supposes, though the constant distraction is doing a number on his grade. Lancer drones on about themes in literature and characterization in several hand-picked stories of his and that's when Danny's mind begins to go a little fuzzy, Lancer's words sounding... wrong? Danny looks down at his notes and sees his hands trembling on both sides of the paper.

_No, wait- what was he saying?_

He inhales sharply, suddenly, as his heart rate spikes and he feels his body surge with adrenaline. His first reaction is to scan his immediate surrounding for signs of ghost activity, but he is soon confused when his ghost sense never makes an appearance. Nevertheless, he is on edge, his heart drumming along at a risky pace. He counts the beats with the ticking of the nearby clock as they continue to quicken with his uneven breath. He accidentally drops his pencil and it rolls off his desk and onto the floor with a snap. Lancer eyes him.

Danny clears his throat awkwardly and bends to the side to retrieve his pencil, and his breathing cuts off altogether as his vision spins and his heart throbs angrily at the motion. Its racing, racing as if he's in the middle of combat, as if there's something just around the corner and he's waiting in anticipation for it to attack-

"Mr. Fenton, are you quite alright?" Lancer says suddenly, his voice too loud.

"I, uh," Danny stumbles over his words, his tongue feeling wrong in his mouth, his heart in his throat. The other students are looking at him strangely, his two friends with concern. "No, I'm- I don't- may I be excused?" He asks, voice breaking off at the end. He's already grasping the edge of the desk in preparation to run, escape the noise and whatever invisible danger is lurking. He needs to get away.

Lancer watches him for several seconds, and Danny thankfully sees understanding (almost recognition?) in his teacher's expression, and the man nods.

"Take as much time as you need, just remain in the hallway."

Danny doesn't even look back as he bolts straight out of the room, his entire body screaming at him to run, run, run away, and he very nearly collapses against the wall before catching himself with a shaking hand. He stands there lopsided for a long moment, listening to his thundering heart and ragged breathing, and brings a hand over his face. His entire body is shaking, now, and he feels sick to his stomach.

He still can't _breathe._

His knees give out and he twists himself around to land roughly with his back to the wall. He tilts his head back until his hair brushes solidity, his hands pressed to the floor. Tears prick in the corners of his eyes. His chest heaves. A tingling sensation is starting at his fingertips and running up his arms, and he realizes quickly that he's losing sensation in them altogether, but can do nothing to stop it. Danny squeezes his eyes shut and wills the panic to cease, begs for calm, but his arms are numb and his heart is straining and the blood is pounding through his head and he's being squeezed too tightly- he can't-

Someone is in the hallway with him but he doesn't know who. They're too blurry, their voice distorted in his ears and he is crying now because he's scared, and he still can't feel half his body and it feels like his insides are giving up on him entirely and he doesn't have the power to stop it. His hands claw into his arms and his nails rake his skin and the pain grounds him slightly so he continues, until the stranger's hands shoot out and grabs his wrists, holding them down in front of him. He thinks they're talking because there's white noise shrieking at him from every direction. He's not sure if he's breathing anymore.

"Mr. Fenton? Daniel?"

_Wait, that's-_

_I can_

_I'm_

He blinks hard to clear his vision of tears, the rattling in his ribcage easing off slightly as the seconds tick by. Just as quickly as it came, the panic subsides into a deep exhaustion that he feels down to his bones. Danny winces when his head begins to throb. He inhales greedily, taking in as much air as he can before breathing out in a long, thankfully painless sigh.

In front of him, Lancer is sitting down on one knee and holding his wrists with both hands. Danny looks at his arms and sees long, inflamed scratches running down both.

"Daniel, are you alright?" He asks quietly. Danny takes a moment to respond, still regaining himself, but eventually nods slowly and swallows down remaining tears. Lancer looks relieved.

"You had a panic attack. Do you know what that is?" He doesn't, but he's too tired and doesn't trust his voice enough to ask. "I'm going to help you get to the school nurse, alright? Once you're feeling better, you can either come back to class or call your parents to come pick you up. Just try to take it easy and don't push yourself."

Danny doesn't know how to respond, still doesn't know exactly what happened to him, so he simply nods at Lancer and allows the man to help him up to his feet. His legs feel worse than jelly, so it takes him several moments to be able to stand upright on his own power. He feels incredibly weak, just as weak as he feels after a long fight, but he doesn't feel entirely useless. He feels... okay. Calm.

The journey to the school office is short, and Danny is still too lost inside his own head to remember much of it, but he's aware Lancer didn't say a single word to him during that time. Maybe he knew that he would struggle to comprehend anything he said, or maybe he just wanted to give him the quiet. Either way, Danny feels grateful and is allowed to have the nurse's room to himself (lights off, even) until he felt back up to par.

_A panic attack_, he thinks while gently rubbing his temples. _Of course, I just have to have more things go wrong, don't I...?_

He closes his eyes, embracing the quiet of the room, and allows himself to drift into a well-deserved rest.

* * *

><p>WOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE HASN'T IT<p>

why haven't I updated in like three years? idk honestly I just haven't.

anyway I though I'd get back into writing with a fun little number that's close to my own heart about anxiety/panic disorders (using my own experience with Panic Disorder/GAD as reference). with all the stress Danny's under, it honestly would not surprise me that he would develop one. plus it's always nice to show Lancer in a positive light because, despite often being the butt of the joke, he's a good teacher and influence.

my writing is a bit rusty, predictably, so I'll need some more practice before I update regularly again. also for some reason I started writing entirely in present tense. could not tell you why.

but yeah good to be back and I've got a LOT of new songs that I'd like to write to so keep an eye out for that!


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